Arsenal – Podolski Will Talk To Wenger About Possible Departure

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Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski will discuss his situation with manager, Arsene Wenger and may leave the club in January.

The German international is yet to start a single Premier League game for Arsenal this season, enjoying just 37 minutes of action on the pitch, and was again ignored in the 2-2 draw against Hull City on Saturday.

With Theo Walcott reaching full fitness, the chance of Podolski starting a league game are thinner than before and the 29-year old admits a move away from the London club might be ideal for his career.

The 29-year-old told Sport Bild: “I have a contract with Arsenal until 2016. I feel at home in London and get on with the fans very well.”

“Nevertheless, I will try to speak with the coach and the club to see what is best for all parties.

“I want to play football and am not the type to sit on the bench until my contract expires.”

Lukas Podolski is aiming to stay in the national squad for the upcoming European Championship in 2016. And warming the Arsenal bench is not going to help him make a strong case for national team selection.

“If you get little playing time with the team, you cannot expect to be selected for the national team,” Podolski said. He was not a main selection by German manager Joachim Low during the 2014 World Cup.

Arsenal acquired Podolski’s services for £11m in the summer of 2012. Since his arrival to the club, Podolski has scored 28 goals in 74 appearances. The World Cup winner has previously played for clubs like Bayern Munich and FC Koln. The German has earned more than 100 caps playing for his national team.

Despite the long-term injuries to Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott, Wenger never considered giving Podolski the chance to start in their positions. The summer arrivals of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez made it worse for Podolski dropping him further down the pecking order.

Rumours of Podolski’s departure are flying high and wide with BBC Sport even linking him with Arsenal’s local rivals Tottenham Hotspurs. Podolski took to twitter and was quick to dismiss the rumours and confirmed his loyalty to the Gunners.

While Arsene Wenger may or may not allow Podolski to leave, the 29-year old’s chances of getting first team action are close to none if he stays at Arsenal. A return to the Bundesliga seems ideal for the former Bayern Munich player at the moment. A German club like Borussia Dortmund or Schalke will be the ideal destination for Podolski as both the clubs have a high possibility of losing Reus and Draxler respectively in the near future.